Ohio Growth Summithttp://ohiogrowthsummit.com
an event for entrepreneurs from the Ohio Small Business Development CentersThu, 26 Jun 2014 15:35:45 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.0Rick Coplin on Perfect Pitching — Reach the Summit [Podcast]http://ohiogrowthsummit.com/blog/rick-coplin-perfect-pitching-reach-summit-podcast.html
http://ohiogrowthsummit.com/blog/rick-coplin-perfect-pitching-reach-summit-podcast.html#commentsWed, 25 Jun 2014 04:07:49 +0000http://ohiogrowthsummit.com/?p=2584This is the 20th episode of Reach the Summit, a podcast to help you reach your business goals. Subscribe on iTunes, Spreaker or Stitcher Radio. Hosts Mike Bowers and Amy Schmittauer interview each guest to learn more about what makes them tick and keeps them striving for success in everything they do. Episodes are recorded twice per month and feature business owners, marketers, salespeople, social media specialists, operations… Continue reading

]]>This is the 20th episode of Reach the Summit, a podcast to help you reach your business goals.

Subscribe on iTunes, Spreakeror Stitcher Radio. Hosts Mike Bowers and Amy Schmittauer interview each guest to learn more about what makes them tick and keeps them striving for success in everything they do. Episodes are recorded twice per month and feature business owners, marketers, salespeople, social media specialists, operations managers and other inspirational individuals who can speak about their path to success and how to help other people in business.

Today, we officially wrap up the 10th Ohio Growth Summit by speaking with breakout presenter Rick Coplin about perfect pitching. Rick’s well-received interactive session was on “Pitching Your Business to Investors, Bankers, Partners and Employees.”

Over his successful career, Rick has helped to build and sell a start-up company, directed technology programs in a major financial institution and consulted with companies throughout the United States in the areas of technology, finance, marketing and operations. Currently, he is Vice President of Community Partner Ventures with TechColumbus working alongside entrepreneurs who are building start-up companies. In this role he finds, supports, mentors, coaches, incubates and funds high-growth potential companies in Central Ohio.

If you missed Rick’s session or want additional insights, you can buy his recently released e-book, “Pitch Your Best!” He’ll be releasing another book later this year titled, “Nail Your Pitch!”

Rick has taken part in nearly every Ohio Growth Summit and said this year’s topped them all. In addition to the variety of presentations, Rick noted the excellent networking opportunities. “I made a lot of connections, and that’s the best part of Ohio Growth Summit,” he said.

In this 25-minute episode, Rick discusses:

The one group of people besides investors, lenders, partners and employees you need to pitch.

The most important aspect of pitching.

How much time you should spend preparing and practicing your pitch.

The general pitching process from initial conversation to closing the deal.

]]>http://ohiogrowthsummit.com/blog/rick-coplin-perfect-pitching-reach-summit-podcast.html/feed0Don’t Bury the Ideas from the Ohio Growth Summit. Use Them.http://ohiogrowthsummit.com/blog/dont-bury-ideas-ohio-growth-summit-use.html
http://ohiogrowthsummit.com/blog/dont-bury-ideas-ohio-growth-summit-use.html#commentsThu, 19 Jun 2014 17:48:39 +0000http://ohiogrowthsummit.com/?p=2578It’s been two weeks since the Ohio Growth Summit. What are you doing differently based on what you heard or experienced? Here’s what often happens when you attend a professional conference, especially one as rich in content as OGS. You get blown away by what you hear. You start imagining the possibilities of implementing every… Continue reading

]]>It’s been two weeks since the Ohio Growth Summit. What are you doing differently based on what you heard or experienced?

Here’s what often happens when you attend a professional conference, especially one as rich in content as OGS. You get blown away by what you hear. You start imagining the possibilities of implementing every single good idea. You furiously take notes and start sketching out how to make significant changes in your business or career.

Then you get back to the office. You catch up on what you missed while you were out. You put out a few fires. Customers need assistance. The next thing you know, your conference notes and ideas get buried under invoices, stuff you need to approve and empty shipping envelopes. When you find the notes a few weeks later, it all looks too daunting to try.

Don’t let this happen. If you attended the Ohio Growth Summit, pull out your notes right now. Don’t think about doing everything that inspired you. Save some for later. Change sometimes happens incrementally.

My challenge to you: Pick one thing and focus on that.

What one thing you could implement or try today to make a difference? Something that will potentially have the most impact on your business? That got you the most excited the moment you heard it at the conference?

Choose one thing and commit to doing it. Make your commitment known to others who will cheerlead and hold you accountable. Improve your business or career one great idea at a time.

If you’re stuck or can’t find your notes, here are just a few ideas from the Summit:

Is there a great idea that you’ve been hiding? Time to unleash it.

How can you show appreciation to your best customer, vendor and/or employee today?

Is there someone you’ve been meaning to reach out to or a relationship you want to rekindle? No time like the present.

Think outside the box and figure out a new income stream.

Is there a way you can volunteer in your community to increase your business exposure?

Develop new content by starting a newsletter, making videos or recording podcasts.

Is there a way to make it easier on your customers by giving them fewer choices?

Do you need to replace the stock images on your website and materials with real people?

Do you need to spend some time today prospecting?

How can you bring more passion into your business?

Have you reviewed your website content for SEO purposes?

Find online influencers and start building a foundation for a relationship.

You don’t even need to use something you heard during the keynote and breakout presentations. Maybe you heard a great idea during the networking reception or meeting people in between sessions.

One thing that could also spur your “one thing”: If you haven’t already, subscribe to the blogs of the event’s presenters and follow them on social media. Believe me, these incredible people have far more to teach and inspire us with than what is contained in a one-hour presentation.

So what one thing will you focus on? Share it with us in the comments section!

]]>http://ohiogrowthsummit.com/blog/dont-bury-ideas-ohio-growth-summit-use.html/feed0Bloggers Share their Experiences at the 2014 Ohio Growth Summithttp://ohiogrowthsummit.com/blog/bloggers-share-experiences-ohio-growth-summit.html
http://ohiogrowthsummit.com/blog/bloggers-share-experiences-ohio-growth-summit.html#commentsFri, 13 Jun 2014 15:19:39 +0000http://ohiogrowthsummit.com/?p=2571Last week’s 10th annual Ohio Growth Summit made a lasting impression on everyone who attended. Many of our fans wrote about their experience on their blogs, and we’ve captured a few excerpts: Amy Taylor of Brains on Fire had an “aha moment” during Charlie Wollborg’s presentation “If You’re Not Pissing Off a Few People, You’re Probably… Continue reading

]]>Last week’s 10th annual Ohio Growth Summit made a lasting impression on everyone who attended. Many of our fans wrote about their experience on their blogs, and we’ve captured a few excerpts:

Amy Taylor of Brains on Fire had an “aha moment” during Charlie Wollborg’s presentation “If You’re Not Pissing Off a Few People, You’re Probably Not Exciting Anybody Either.” She recounted Charlie’s observation that Oreo sells cookie crumbs in addition to whole cookies. That means somebody with some ingenuity looked at the crumbs being thrown away in the factory and said, “We can sell this.”

Amy’s conclusion: “What is everyone in your industry throwing away? What do people see little or no value in? How can you approach it from a new angle and turn it into a revenue stream?”

Rick gave a powerful endorsement of OGS: “The Ohio Growth Summit should be at the top of the list of any entrepreneur’s conference plans. Entrepreneurs, business owners, and entrepreneurially-minded employees will all find great value here. OGS just might provide the inspiration you need to take the leap into your own entrepreneurial adventure; I know several successful entrepreneurs who have attended the conference, made life changing decisions while there, and haven’t looked back since.”

Jerry Ross — “He focused on Wizard of Oz references in his speech– the brain, heart and courage. Each reference had to do with an aspect of an entrepreneurial spirit, such as the brain being part of the focus and branding of the company, the heart being the team and clients of the company and building relationships, and the courage to go out there and sell your product to others with confidence.”

Chris Brogan — “He encouraged having a relationship-minded business and expanding your media empire to newsletters, videos, podcasts and webinars to increase engagement.”

Steve Kloyda — “As a startup, it is important to ‘sell’ your company to others to gain clients. You need to be confident when reaching out to potential customers, state your purpose, ask questions to guide the conversation, listen, help solve the problem and close the deal.”

Heather Whaling — “The keynote emphasized how teamwork is so important to a company’s culture and it is crucial to have a great team that inspires each other, enjoys what they do and shares that passion with others.”

OGS was covered by Columbus Business First. The business journal interviewed keynote speaker Jerry Ross of the National Entrepreneurship Center and OGS founder and director Mike Bowers about the key to growing small business in Ohio.

Mike Bowers, who also blogs at Seeking Awesome, published a round-up featuring all the awesome keynote speakers who shared their experience and knowledge over the course of the two-day event. He thanked everyone who attended and made year 10 the best yet!

Have you written about your experience at OGS or read someone else’s post? Let us know by posting in the comments section with a link!

]]>http://ohiogrowthsummit.com/blog/bloggers-share-experiences-ohio-growth-summit.html/feed0#OGS14 – All the News from Twitterhttp://ohiogrowthsummit.com/blog/ogs14.html
http://ohiogrowthsummit.com/blog/ogs14.html#commentsMon, 09 Jun 2014 17:44:09 +0000http://ohiogrowthsummit.com/?p=2565The Ohio Growth Summit is over for this year, but the activity on Twitter continues! We’re still hearing great things about everyone’s experiences, so we’ve put together some of the best quotes and tweets. Check out #OGS14 for more! The movie scene conference openings are always a highlight! Tommy Boy kicked off Wednesday… Yup. RT… Continue reading

]]>The Ohio Growth Summit is over for this year, but the activity on Twitter continues! We’re still hearing great things about everyone’s experiences, so we’ve put together some of the best quotes and tweets. Check out #OGS14 for more!

]]>http://ohiogrowthsummit.com/blog/ogs14.html/feed0Are You Ready for a Jam-Packed Day Two of #OGS14?http://ohiogrowthsummit.com/blog/ready-jam-packed-day-two.html
http://ohiogrowthsummit.com/blog/ready-jam-packed-day-two.html#commentsWed, 04 Jun 2014 21:00:03 +0000http://ohiogrowthsummit.com/?p=2561After absorbing tons of ideas and information on Day One, we hope you’re ready, because there’s more to learn on Day Two of OGS. Throughout the last few months, we’ve profiled many of our speakers and presenters in posts and podcasts. Just like yesterday, we’ve gathered them all together here in one handy reference post… Continue reading

]]>After absorbing tons of ideas and information on Day One, we hope you’re ready, because there’s more to learn on Day Two of OGS. Throughout the last few months, we’ve profiled many of our speakers and presenters in posts and podcasts. Just like yesterday, we’ve gathered them all together here in one handy reference post to help you through your day tomorrow!

Next is the Keynote Presentation, The Art of Prospecting by Steve Kloyda (10:00 – 11:00am). You’ll also learn how to apply Steve’s “Formula for Success” when working with objections and the single best closing technique to drive more sales. Prepare for Steve’s presentation by checking out his Reach the Summit podcast interview. Steve also suggests asking three questions when facing change.

Finish out the morning of Day Two by attending one of three Business Growth Workshops:

How To Make Marketing Sexy With YouTubeAmy Schmittauer, Vlog Boss Studios (11:15am – 12:15pm)OGS blogger and all-around social media expert Amy Schmittauer will discuss what you need to know to execute a successful video content plan that builds real relationships with your potential customers and brand advocates for life. You can also benefit from Amy’s perspective on engaging customers through mobile technology.

The 10th Ohio Growth Summit will conclude with a pair of highly anticipated Keynote Presentations:

The Closing Keynote Presentation of the Ohio Growth Summit is Turn Your Passions into Profits and Start Thinking Outside the Box, by Jason Surfrapp of IWearYourShirt.com. Jason will share his story of generating more than $1 million in revenue and building the worldwide recognized brand IWearYourShirt. Jason will also discuss how he sold his last name (twice) and successfully earned a profit marketing and writing a book before a single word was written (or book sold). See what else you can learn from Jason and take a few minutes to listen to his enlightening interview on Reach the Summit.

Check out the full agenda for Day Two! Thanks for joining us at the 2014 Ohio Growth Summit!

]]>http://ohiogrowthsummit.com/blog/ready-jam-packed-day-two.html/feed0A Little Bit of Everything on Day One of #OGS14http://ohiogrowthsummit.com/blog/day-one-ohio-growth-summit.html
http://ohiogrowthsummit.com/blog/day-one-ohio-growth-summit.html#commentsTue, 03 Jun 2014 16:26:28 +0000http://ohiogrowthsummit.com/?p=2548We’re excited to see everyone tomorrow for Day One of the 2014 Ohio Growth Summit! We’ve loaded the first day with an array of inspirational and informational keynote and breakout sessions starting with the Opening Keynote Presentation all the way through to the networking reception. Throughout the last few months, we’ve profiled many of our speakers… Continue reading

]]>We’re excited to see everyone tomorrow for Day One of the 2014 Ohio Growth Summit! We’ve loaded the first day with an array of inspirational and informational keynote and breakout sessions starting with the Opening Keynote Presentation all the way through to the networking reception.

Throughout the last few months, we’ve profiled many of our speakers and presenters in posts and podcasts. We’ve gathered them all together here in one handy reference post to help you through your day tomorrow!

First up for the day is the Opening Keynote Presentation, Entrepreneurial Thinking Required!, from Jerry Ross, of the National Entrepreneurship Center (12:15 – 01:15pm). Jerry will launch our two-day summit with a presentation on the critical role entrepreneurship plays in the U.S. economy and how today’s economy requires every business to engage in entrepreneurial thinking. Preview some of Jerry’s advice to startups on his recent appearance on Reach the Summit and understand his call to “Stay Vertical.”

Our first and second sets of Business Growth Workshops will follow the keynote presentation. They are:

Website SEO Made Easy In 7 StepsBrad Griffith of Buckeye Interactive (01:30 – 02:30pm)In this interactive workshop, Brad will discuss how website returns are measured and help you complete a Website ROI worksheet to identify how your investment and returns are related. Be sure to check out our recent blog post on the topic of SEO.

How To Bootstrap Your PR…Like A BossKate Finley of Belle Communications (01:30 – 02:30pm)In this breakout, you’ll gain best practices and the insider-perspective you need to get media to cover your brand—without driving reporters nuts in the process. Past OGS speaker Gini Dietrich offered several helpful PR nuggets in her recent Reach the Summit podcast.

My Lawyer Says…10 Tips for the New Business OwnerAmbrose Moses of Law Office of Ambrose Moses, III (01:30 – 02:30pm)This presentation will give new (and experienced) business owners some helpful tips from the perspective of a business lawyer helping clients navigate the many challenges one faces with a starting, operating and growing a new business.

Hire4Impact-The 5 Keys to Hiring SuccessAlec Broadfoot, VisionSpark (01:30 – 02:30pm)Gain some practical insights on hiring for fit. Learn five fantastic interview questions and how candidates should answer them. In January, we discussed some additional tips on making the transition from one-man shop to a full-fledged employer.

How to Acquire Customers via Google Adwords & Pay Per Click (PPC)Laura Thieme, Bizwatch (02:45 – 03:45pm)Learn how to grow your business using Google Adwords and Pay-Per-Click (PPC). Hear the latest tactics in keyword discovery and how to leverage Google’s paid search real estate. Learn the top three campaign mistakes, three ways to improve performance, three rules for managing pay per click budgets and how to measure conversions and/or new leads or online orders.

Networking With IntentDeb Peluso, The Change Collaborative LLC (02:45 – 03:45pm)During the course of this session, participants will clarify their purpose for networking and meeting others, hone their networking message and do some actual networking with fellow attendees. Prepare to network at OGS by understanding how to build relationships and maximize your networking experience.

Blogger Panel: How to Increase Brand Awareness Through Online InfluencersModerator: Carolyn Kent, Ologie (02:45 – 03:45pm)Accessibility to publishing is extremely easy these days and has created an amazing venue for anyone to build influence, especially online in the blogger space. It’s a tremendous industry and a great opportunity for brands to increase their reach… if handled correctly. In this panel, we’ve invited the top three bloggers in Columbus (as voted by local residents in 614 Magazine) to discuss best practices and strategies for a brand to conduct brand outreach to niche bloggers. Building through your social media content was recently covered on the OGS blog.

Keynote PresentationMaster the Digital ChannelChris Brogan, Human Business Works and Owner Magazine (04:00 – 05:00pm)Chris has taught large and small companies, associations and individuals how to master the digital channel. How do you generate leads in a world where the attention wars are raging? How do you improve sales processes? What can you measure? And where will you most likely go wrong? Chris talked about building a community on a recent Reach the Summit podcast. And since it’s impossible to know too much about digital media, check out these podcasts and articles on understanding your social media audience and generating compelling content.

Ohio Growth Summit Reception, Due Amici, 67 East Gay StreetPlease join us after the keynote presentation for a networking opportunity in a casual setting. Sponsors Vlog Boss Studios and Don’t Panic Management will be providing one complementary beverage of choice and lots of yummy hors d’oeuvres for your enjoyment.

Here are the pertinent details; we can’t wait to see you there!Where: Due Amici, 67 E. Gay Street, DowntownWhen: Wednesday, June 4th from 6:00 – 8:00pmWhat: A time to meet new friends and mingle with old. Your first drink (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) is on us. We’ll also have several delicious appetizers for you to enjoy.

]]>http://ohiogrowthsummit.com/blog/believe.html/feed0Charlie Wollborg on Igniting Passion – Reach the Summit [Podcast]http://ohiogrowthsummit.com/blog/charlie-wollborg-igniting-passion-reach-summit-podcast.html
http://ohiogrowthsummit.com/blog/charlie-wollborg-igniting-passion-reach-summit-podcast.html#commentsTue, 03 Jun 2014 04:29:42 +0000http://ohiogrowthsummit.com/?p=2553This is the 19th episode of Reach the Summit, a podcast to help you reach your business goals. Subscribe on iTunes, Spreaker or Stitcher Radio. Hosts Mike Bowers and Amy Schmittauer interview each guest to learn more about what makes them tick and keeps them striving for success in everything they do. Episodes are recorded twice per month and feature business owners, marketers, salespeople, social media specialists, operations… Continue reading

This is the 19th episode of Reach the Summit, a podcast to help you reach your business goals.

Subscribe on iTunes, Spreakeror Stitcher Radio. Hosts Mike Bowers and Amy Schmittauer interview each guest to learn more about what makes them tick and keeps them striving for success in everything they do. Episodes are recorded twice per month and feature business owners, marketers, salespeople, social media specialists, operations managers and other inspirational individuals who can speak about their path to success and how to help other people in business.

Charlie Wollborg is a purveyor of attention. He helps growing brands stand out from the clutter.

He opened the doors at Curve Detroit Marketing Strategy & Creative Design after being thrown out of several well respected ad agencies. As a marketing strategist and creative director, he has delivered blue sky ideas and bottom line results for blue chip national clients and budding local brands.

When he’s not building brands, you’ll find Charlie inspiring, educating, igniting passions and entertaining business audiences with his lively keynote presentations on social media, branding, marketing and motivation. He helps smart companies stay on top of what’s new, what’s now and what’s next in the world of marketing and technology. He’s earned applause and laughter at several Ignite events and recently took the second place prize at the PowerPoint Karaoke World Finals.

“In the rush for likes, fans and followers, we are afraid to offend anyone. We play it safe. We want to be ‘well liked.’ Trouble is, all the likes, fans and followers in the world don’t amount to diddly squat without a legion of passionate advocates. We’re living through the ‘meh’ economy – a market is saturated with polite mediocrity. It’s time to wake up. It’s time to take a stand. It’s time to transform ourselves, our companies and our causes. Let’s be a catalyst for passionate ideas. Let’s create big red Kool-Aid Pitchers of awesomeness that makes our fans bust through walls and say ‘Oh, hell yeah!’”

In this 20-minute episode, he also discusses:

Why it’s a mistake to attempt to be liked by a lot of people;

Why some people have to hate you in order for others to love you;

The most important question you should ask before posting social media content; and

What “Cheers” barfly Cliff Clavin and the Bravo cable network can teach you about creating social media content.

]]>http://ohiogrowthsummit.com/blog/charlie-wollborg-igniting-passion-reach-summit-podcast.html/feed0Content Management Systems: What They Are & Why They’re Awesomehttp://ohiogrowthsummit.com/blog/content-management-systems.html
http://ohiogrowthsummit.com/blog/content-management-systems.html#commentsTue, 03 Jun 2014 02:18:09 +0000http://ohiogrowthsummit.com/?p=2552If you’re building a website for your company, you’d better make sure it’s built on a content management system (CMS). What is a CMS? According to Yellow Bridge Interactive, “a content management system (CMS) is a computer program that allows publishing, editing, and modifying content as well as maintenance from a central interface.” Major content management systems you… Continue reading

If you’re building a website for your company, you’d better make sure it’s built on a content management system (CMS).

What is a CMS?

According to Yellow Bridge Interactive, “a content management system (CMS) is a computer program that allows publishing, editing, and modifying content as well as maintenance from a central interface.” Major content management systems you may have heard of include WordPress, Drupal, Joomla!, and ExpressionEngine.

The most important benefit of building your company’s website on a CMS is that nondevelopers are easily able to change and edit site content as needed. Many companies hire a developer to build their websites, but company representatives don’t have access to the backend, or if they do, they don’t know how to interpret code, causing two major issues:

1) Every time the website needs updated with new information, fresh photos, or an upcoming event, the developer has to be contacted to make even the smallest changes.

2) This means means waiting for the developer to make the changes on his/her time, and also paying him/her for the time spent on your website, which can really add up.

Hosting your website on a CMS cuts out the middle man and makes editing your site content extremely easy and intuitive. Being able to update content on your own time will not only benefit you, but also your audience and your company. It ensures that your website accurately represents your company.

Other benefits of a CMS

A CMS like WordPress allows users to take control of the website and all its attributes:

Users – Create unique user profiles for each person who logs into the site. Take advantage of these profiles by limiting access, control, and administrative power of each individual. WordPress also tracks any changes made to the website and its content based on which user is logged in.

Blog – WordPress is known for its awesome blogging capabilities. Customize blog properties such as categories, tags, hyperlinks, URLs, SEO, and more all on one page. Save it as a draft if you’re not ready to publish yet, or schedule posts to publish at a preferred date and time.

Your website is a direct representation of your company and its values, so make sure your website functions as well as your company does.

]]>http://ohiogrowthsummit.com/blog/content-management-systems.html/feed0Creativity For Sale at The Ohio Growth Summithttp://ohiogrowthsummit.com/blog/creativity-sale-ohio-growth-summit.html
http://ohiogrowthsummit.com/blog/creativity-sale-ohio-growth-summit.html#commentsMon, 02 Jun 2014 20:13:34 +0000http://ohiogrowthsummit.com/?p=2547Creativity For Sale, the new book by Jason Surfrapp is waiting for you to pick your copy up at the Ohio Growth Summit. Don’t miss Jason’s Keynote presentation on June 5th. Sign up today at http://ohiogrowthsummit.com/register